Tension device for loom shuttles



Aug. 9, 1927.

J LUCAS TENSION DEVICE FOR LOOM sHUTTLEs v Filed Oct. 1, 1926 A 2 sheets-sheet 1 25 41-4: and 5-5 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 6

40 head 13 is formed 45 to this,

50 Fig. 1.

Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

lUNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

JONATHAN LUCAS, or sAvANNAH, GEORGIA, AssrGNon To LUoAs-LAMBoRN Loom CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, yN. Y.,A COIIRCEORATIONv OF NEW YORK.

TENSION DEVICE FOR L OOM SIHUTTLES.

' My invention relates to loom shuttles and has for its object to provide a' novel and simple tension device embodied in the shuttle for maintaining the shuttle thread under tension and to prevent slack and unintenl0 ing of the shuttle is facilitated and whereby strains tending to break the thread, in its passage from the shuttle,A are avoided. Other objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features rof novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of the invention without defining its limits, Fig.v 1` is ya side elevation of a shuttle with the novel features embodied therein; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Figs. e and 5 are cross sections talren respectively on the lines andV are fragmentary sections on an kenlarged scale similar to Fig. 3 showing the tension device in two positions.

rFhe shuttle 10 may be of any conventional form with such features and devices as are commonly found therein and Vincludes the usual spindle 11 on which the bobbin 12 is mounted in the well known way. The head 13 of the shuttle is `provided with a thread exit, illustrated in the forni of a thread channelll extending in the direction of the Alength of the shuttle and preferably at an inclination to the major axis thereof as indicated in Fig. 3. Upon its outer face the with a recess 15 which converges inwardly toward a longitudinal slit 16 whereby communication between the thread channel 1st and the recess 15 is es tablished as shown in Fig. 1; in addition the shuttle head 13 is provided with a rounded bearing surface 1T located adjacent to the exit endof the thread channel 14 and reached by way of a slot 1S which connects with the slitl 16 as illustrated in A transverse chamber A19, preferably of circular cross-section is located in the head 13 intermediate of the ends of the channel 14 and projects transversely to and beyond `the same in opposite directions asv shown in Fig. 3; the chamber 19 is arranged and located so that it extends beneath the channel 14 to form a transverse relatively shallow depression 2O therein, which depression accordingly also projects transversely beyond said channel in opposite directions. rlhe chamber 19 includes a restricted open end or a restricted opening 21 facing outwardly toward the recess 15 and, as illustrated in Fig. et, is providedwith an inwardly inclined projection 22 located adjacent to said opening for the purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.` For convenience in construction and in order to permitaccess thereto, the chamber 19 may be formed by transversely boring the head 18 in which case a plug 23 may be frictionally and removably fitted in said chamber 19 to close the one end thereof and to dimen sion said chamber with respect to its length in accordance with predetermined calculations. The chamber 19 contains a cylindrical weight 24 of relatively less diameter than the diameter of said chamber and freely movable therein; the dimensions of the weight 24 are predetermined to provide the desired heaviness therein and the length ofv the chamber is determined by the length of the weight so as to permit the freedom of movement desired without, however, allowing displacement'of the weight in the direction of its length in said chamber to any material extent. The one endof the weight 24 is tapered as indicated yat 25, thetaper merging into the body of the weight in a manner to avoid a sharply defined edge at the base of said taper; the latter serves to guide the shuttle thread beneath the weight in the threading of the shuttle, and in cooperation with said projection prevents said thread from passing above said weight. If desired, a plate 26 may be removably fixed by screws 27 upon the inner surface of the head 13 and provided with a spiral opening 28 in registry with the inner end of the thread channel 14 as shown in Fig. 5.y

' To thread the shuttle, the thread a is vvwithdrawn from the bobbin 12 to an extentsuflicient to bring the end thereof beyond the head 13 of the shuttle 10; the thread is then simply passed sideways into the recess 15 and is guided thereby to the slit 16 through which itv passes into the thread channel 14: and into the spiral openingA 28 and into the slot 18 into contact with the bearing surface 17. In its passage into the thread channel 14, the thread automatically passes also through the restricted opening 2l and through the medium of the projection QQ and tapering end 25 is automatically guided beneath the weight 24e. its the loom is operated and the weaving` proceeds the shuttle l0 will pass forward and backward through the shed of warp yarns and a pull will accordingly be exerted upon the thread a and released in alternate sequence as a result of the operative reciprocation of the shuttle. As the pull is exerted the thread o will raise the weight 24 to approximately the position indicated in Fig. 6 so that the weight will bear with its weight upon said shuttle thread a in free rotative 'relation thereto and thereby create a tension List the pull of the thread when the shuttle is at speed. When the pull on the thread c is released either because or' the operative movements of the shuttle or for any other reason, the weight 24 will trap the thread in the recess 20 and clamp it therein and thereby prevent any slack occurring in said thread and also avoiding anynnintentional nnwinding thereof from the bobbin '12. In this way the thread c is at all times maintained under control to provide the most eiiicient weaving and to prevent the crea.- tion of undesirable conditions therein. Be cause of the cylindrical form ot' the weight Q4 and due to its axial dimensions, the thread a is properly under the weight at all periods ot rotation around the bobbin l2 from the initial large diameter thereof down to the .empty spool; this is illustrated by the dotted lines a in Fig. l and provides a reliable and uniform control of said thread o regardless o'f the diameter of the bobbin supply. rThis is in contradistinction to tension devices involvingl the use et a sphere or other device which has the disadvantage that the thread continually slips from be neath the same, thus creating a very unreliable condition in the control of the thread. It will be 'noted that sharp edges are entirely avoided at the tap-ered end of the weight and in the recess 20 and contiguous parts of the channel 14; so that the thread a, is never subjected to any sharp or abrupt bends or changes in direction; breakage of the thread and strains thereon are accordingly reduced to a minimunn rIhe weight 24 is easily placed in position in the chamber 19 by simply removing and then replacing the plug 23 and provides a simple and eflicient medium whereby the shuttle thread a is effectively controlled at all times and which permits the shuttle to be threaded with a minimum of effort.

As the shuttle 10 travels in-fa forward direction, the thread a will be subjected to shuttle in the direction indicated at a in F ig. 3; during the return movement of the shuttle the thread a, is subjected to a backward pull and Ypasses from the shuttleas indicated at e2 in Fig. 3. In the latter case the thread travels in contact with the curved bearing surface 17 of the shuttle and is thereby prevented from assuming anyv sharp bends and abrupt changes in direction with the result that said thread is relieved of any excessive strains and br alrage from this source is accordingly reduced to a minimum.

Various changes in the speciiic Y form shown and described may be made within,

the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a loom shuttle having an exit channel for the shuttle thread and provided with transverse chamber intermediate of the ends of said channel, said chamber extendingbelow said channel to VVform a transverse depression therein, a cylindricalV weight freely movable in said chamber andanA ranged in rolling cont-act with said thread and adapted to bear with its circumferential surface upon said thread and by its weight thereon to maintain said thread under ra tension and clamp the thread in said depression when pull thereon is released.

In a loom shuttle having an exit channel for the shuttle thread and provided with a transverse chamber intermediate of the ends of said channel, said chamber extending below said channel to form a transverse depression therein and having a restricted open end facing outwardly, rounded bear ing surface on` said shuttle located adjacent to the exit end of the thread channel, and a cylindrical weight freely movable in said chamber and arranged to bear with its weight upon said thread in free rotative relation thereto to maintain said thread under a tension and to clampthe thread in said depression when pull thereon is released, said weight having a tapering end projecting toward the open end of said chamber for guiding the thread beneath the weight when threading the shuttle, y

3. .In a loom shuttle having an exit channel for the shuttle thread and a transvere chamber intermediate of the ends of said channel provided with a restricted opening facing outwardly, an inwardly inclined pro-v jection adjacent to said opening, a cylindrical tei'ision weight freely movable in said chamber and having a tapering end co-operating with said inwardly inclined projec" tion to guide the thread beneath the weight in threading-the shuttle, y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set JONATHAN Lucas.4

my' hand.

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